CM recommends the purchase of 4,000 devices for electronic tagging of recidivists and monitoring the activities of dacoits using drones

KARACHI, Jun 13 (APP): Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Thursday chaired a meeting on law and order and decided to purchase 4,000 devices to electronically tag repeat street and drug offenders.

The CM decided to implement geotagging and the use of GPS to prevent street and drug crimes in the most popular areas of the city.

He directed the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to provide police in Sukkur, Ghotki, Kashmore and Shikarpur districts with 14 drones procured last month to monitor the movement of criminals/bandits and their hideouts.

“I know that the police with coordinated support of Rangers and other law enforcement agencies have made progress in controlling law and order, including street crimes in the city and kidnapping for ransom in Kutcha area, but we should take advantage of the latest technology in curbing the crime,” the CM said and added that he had already provided the police with sufficient funds to purchase equipment.

The meeting was held at CM House and was attended by Provincial Ministers Sharjeel Memon, Nasir Shah, Zia Lanjar, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, SMBR Baqaullah Unar, Police IG Ghulam Nabi Memon, Karachi Commissioner Hassan Naqvi, Additional IG Karachi Imran Yakoob, Local Government Secretary Khalid Hyder Shah, Finance Secretary Fayaz Jatoi, CM Secretary Raheem Shaikh, Legal Affairs Secretary, E&T Secretary Saleem Rajput and heads of other provincial law enforcement agencies.

The CM said that we should not become complacent about the situation in Karachi and its current crime rate if we do not control drugs. He was of the opinion that future generations and society as a whole would become fully prone to drug use, which would lead to crime and lawlessness.

“I am committed to making Karachi a drug-safe city,” the CM said. At this point, the IG police informed the CM that 574 drug dealers had been identified in the province, of which 299 had been caught and sent to prison, five had been eliminated and 270 remained at large but would be arrested soon.

The CM was told that 4,000 devices would be purchased to electronically tag repeat offenders, including street peddlers and drug dealers. The CM said he has given budget to the police for installation of tracking devices in police vehicles, which should be ensured.

He was informed that 3,302 police vehicles had been equipped with the tracking system.

The CM was told that as per his instructions, areas with the highest street crime and drug sales have been identified in the worst-affected districts of Karachi. Installations necessary to perform GEO-tagging and use GPS systems with related technologies to effectively prevent street crime and drugs.

Murad Shah said he has already issued instructions to monitor entry and exit points of the province. He was then told that the province’s entry/exit points had been equipped with facial recognition/ANPR cameras.

The CM was told that installation of 1,300 cameras has been started under the first phase of ‘Safe City Karachi’. The CM said that Rs 5.6 billion has already been allocated for the Safe City project.

To a question, the CM was told that 14 drones have been purchased and handed over to the police of Sukkur, Ghotki, Kashmore and Shikarpur districts to monitor the movement of criminals/bandits and their hideouts.

Murad Shah directed the police to use laser-guided fencing technology to record them at the borders. He directed the IG Police to coordinate with the NRTC, investigate its ways and means and report to him.

The CM was told that GPS or related technology would be used to prevent the possibility of any drug-related criminal activities through effective monitoring.